Dricus Du Plessis breaks down Islam vs ‘JDM’ – says it reflects his clash with Khamzat Chimaev

Former UFC middleweight kingpin Dricus du Plessis has compared his fight against Khamzat Chimaev to last weekend’s UFC 322 headliner between Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev.

Du Plessis was dethroned by Chimaev earlier this year at UFC 319. The five-round fight saw complete dominance from Chimaev as he knocked down du Plessis 12 times, landing 529 total hits and with a control time of 21 minutes and 40 seconds. On the other hand, at UFC 322, Makhachev similarly dethroned ‘JDM’ with his superior wrestling. The Dagestani had more than 19 minutes of ground time.

When assessing the performances of Makhachev and Chimaev, and comparing Makhachev vs. ‘JDM’ to his title loss to ‘Borz’, the South African fighter said:

“It was a lot like my fight against Chimaev. These guys have a style that needs to be invented… These wrestlers, especially the Russian-style wrestlers, have something that stands above the rest. When it comes to wrestling and being able to control the man on the floor, certainly not the entertainment that people necessarily want to see. But if they want to win like that and win like that, that’s how they do it. And they’ve been very successful with that.”

Check out Dricus du Plessis’ comments below:

Dricus du Plessis determined to bounce back strongly after title setback

In a recent commercial with the UFC and Crypto.com, Dricus du Plessis discussed courage and how it can’t necessarily be found in crowds or belts. In the video, ‘Stillknocks’ discussed the importance of small moments and other people’s faith in him. He also posted behind-the-scenes videos after losing the UFC 319 title, saying that while the defeat was hard to accept, it doesn’t define him. He gave a purely inspirational comment before the video ended:

“I am Dricus Du Plessis, born brave, and I will be back.”

Watch the clip of Dricus du Plessis below:

Du Plessis defended his belt twice before Chimaev ended his reign. The UFC has yet to announce his next fight. On the other hand, ‘Borz’ will be out of order until Ramadan 2026 due to minor foot surgery.